August 18, 2024
Tyler James Williams has a specific person in mind to play his sibling on Abbott Elementary.
“I would love to see Solange [Knowles] as a cousin. I feel like we look alike,” Williams told People.
“It's like us and then my dad is Orlando [Jones]. Yeah, I think Solange would be great. Just add a family member,” he continued.
Williams plays beloved first-grade teacher Gregory Eddie in the ABC show. The actor, who’s received three Emmy nominations for his role, said he wants to portray Black men experiencing full range of emotions in the show.
“The overall goal for me here is to show not only Black male educators in a certain light, but then also Black men in a certain light that are allowed to be emotional and have full emotional spectrums, and then also be in love,” he said, referring to his character’s new romance with Janine Teagues (played by Quinta Brunson).
“It’s one of the most important things I've ever done in my career is showing this, especially with the platform that we have,” he noted.
Abbott Elementary earned a total of nine Emmy nominations this year, with Brunson earning a nomination for outstanding lead actress in a comedy.